What happened?
by Sand n' Sable
Summary: Henry Blake died in Korea leaving a wife behind to wonder why.


**A/N-That day, that horrible day for Lorraine Blake. She was expecting her husband to come home but only to... here's a glimpse into her unimaginable day.**

 **The woman who played Lorraine Blake was Kathleen Hughes, she was in the movie "It came from Outer Space."**

She could hardly believe it! Henry was coming home! He was coming home! He had made it! He was in the worst spot in Korea, just 3 miles from the front, working in a small hospital.

She had talked to Henry yesterday and the last thing she had heard him say was "Don't tell anybody Lorraine, just..." then the phone was disconnected so she could only assume that Henry wanted to surprise everybody! So, that's just what she was going to do, not tell a soul. Not even the children.

But she looked around their modest but large home in beautiful Bloomington, Illinois and she decided it needed a cleaning like she had never done! From the roof to the floors, not a single inch of space was going to be undone! Her husband deserved nothing but the best!

She started humming, she hadn't hummed in , well, she never hummed ! But she just started, she was so happy!

She went to the closet at the end of the hall and got out a mop, broom, several cleaning rags then she got out some cleaning bottles to put on the floor. She went and started in the kitchen. She smiled at her last memory of herself and Henry in there, it was the night before Henry was to leave for Korea, she was so upset at the thought of her husband leaving that Henry was having trouble calming her down that things turned rather passionate. She blushed at the sweet, sexy memories.

They made love on the kitchen floor ! Mad, passionate love. As she thought about it, she was more brazen than a housewife in the suburbs of Bloomington was supposed to do. She got pregnant with Andrew because of that.

She mopped her way out of the room then when she was proudly looking at her work when the doorbell rang.

Nothing surprising, she was expecting a lunch order from the drug store.

She was walking to the door when she saw a glimpse of an Army officer. An officer? Why? Oh, he was probably here to give her plans for Henry's homecoming.

But her heart felt a dark nagging.

She opened the door and...standing beside the officer was an Army chaplain. NO.

The officer removed his hat as did the chaplain then he said in a soft spoken voice,

"Mrs. Blake? Henry Blake?"

Lorraine nodded her head then he coughed then said, "I'm General Hyzy and this is Lt. Father Carroll."

She barely smiled at the chaplain as he tipped his hat then the General said, "I'm here to sadly inform you that your husband, Henry Blake..."

She couldn't hear anything else because every Army's wife nightmare just came true.

(((oOo)))

She didn't even remember how she got to the couch, she barely remembered calling her mother & sister to come get the kids. She looked out the huge picture window by the door and saw the sun was setting. It was the first sundown she would see as a widow.

What happened? What did they say? How did it happen?

She had to talk to somebody who knew! But who? Who could she call? She placed her slender hands over her face and she cried, uncontrollably then...a thought came to her. Hawkeye! Henry told her about Hawkeye! He once said that he trusted Hawkeye more than anybody on this earth, except his daddy of coarse.

Lorraine looked around at the last streaks of the day then she ran over and grabbed the telephone, she went to sit in one of the chairs in the dining room; she took a deep breath then called the overseas operator.

(((oOo)))

Over in Korea, it's 18 hours earlier, it's the very early morning, the sun hadn't even come up. But Hawkeye and Trapper had not been to sleep at all that night. Not because of surgery but because of pain, emotional pain of Henry Blake's death but things are quiet in the "Swamp", too quiet. Hardly any movement, no talking, no joking. Trapper and Hawkeye just silently look out...at Nothing. Radar came into the "Swamp", he didn't look around the tent, just down at his feet.

Trapper looked at him then he shook his head then asked, "What is it Radar?"

Radar looked around then saw Hawkeye then hemmed and hawed then Hawkeye said, "What is it Radar? We are wondering if we should get drunk ."

Trapper said, "I'm all for it."

Hawkeye then said, "You know, this will be the first time I ever get drunk ."

Trapper shook his head then said, " Right."

Radar still just silently stood then Hawkeye asked again, "What is it Radar?"

Radar squeaks out, "You got a phone call."

Hawkeye took a sip of beer then asked, "Who? Who would be calling me in Korea? Trapper's wife?"

Trapper smiled then said, "Tell her I want a divorce, she's cheating by phone."

Radar doesn't even crack a smile then Hawkeye asked then time in a concerned voice, "Is it my dad? What Radar?"

Radar shuffled his feet then said, "It's Lorraine, Col., Blake's..."

He can't even finish his sentence then Hawkeye looked at Trapper then Trapper asked, "What does she want?"

Hawkeye then said, "An explanation." Trapper asked, "Can you give her one?" Hawkeye looked around then said, "Only that her husband died going home to her. Come on."

Hawkeye and Trapper then head out the door leaving Radar looking around.

Hawkeye and Trapper open Radar's office and go in toward the phone, Trapper asked his best friend, "What are you going to say?"

Hawkeye looked at him then said, "As least as I can."

Hawkeye picked up the phone, took a minute to look up at Trapper then said into the phone, "Hello?"

Back in Bloomington, Lorraine asked, "Hawkeye? Hawkeye Pierce?"

A catch came in Hawk's throat but he coughed then said, "Yes? Is this Lorraine?"

With tears streaming down her eyes, she nodded her head then said, "Yes, this is Lorraine...Hawkeye, I had to call and ask...What happened? How did my husband die?'

Hawkeye looked up at Trapper who was standing beside him then he said into the phone, "The officers didn't tell you?"

"I-I 'd like to hear it from you."

Hawkeye put his head in his hand then said, "L-Lorraine, all I can say is...he was coming home to you."

She stiffles a moan from her throat then asked, "They said his helicopter was shot down over the sea?"

Hawkeye nodded his head then weakly said, "Yeah"

She has to catch her breath then asked, "What was he wearing? Not his "U" shirt?"

Hawkeye tried to smile then said.", "No, Trap and I got him a new suit."

This time it was her turn to try to smile then she just said, "Thank, thank you Hawkeye."

Hawkeye shook his head then said, "You're welcome." She then asked, "Did he say anything about me?"

This time he did smile then said, "He was excited to come home Lorraine. Trapper and I was with him when he called you the other day."

The operator breaks in to tell them they only have a few more minutes then Lorraine said, "I'm glad you told me Hawkeye, thank you."

Hawkeye nodded his head then said, "You're welcome Lorraine."

A lone tear rolled down her face then she said, "Goodbye."

Hawkeye barely got out "Goodbye" then they hung up then Hawkeye sat back in the chair then said, "Let's go open up the Officer's club."

Trapper just followed his buddy out as the sun rays come out over M*A*S*H 4077th.

Lorraine looked out at the stars coming out in the black velvet night and she breaks down in tears.


End file.
